Translation of Arabic Literary Works:Taha Hussein’s Du’a AL-Karawan

(The Call of the Curlew): A Case Study *

Prof. A. B. AS-SAFIPetra University

0. Abstract:Many share the view that to produce a good translation is perhaps

more difficult than to create an original work, since the translator’s

creativity is fettered, vis-à-vis., the writer’s liberty. Furthermore, a literary

work of art is studded with a plethora of rhetorical devices pertaining to

schemes and tropes that are not readily translatable into the target language.

Arabic, in particular, is affluent in aesthophonic features and figurative

expressions that constitute a challenge to the translator. In his preface to

“The Call of the Curlew” the present researcher depicts the dilemma facing

the translator as how to bring about an equilibrium whereby the original

aesthetic flavour is transferred into English without hindering genuine

comprehension or producing something that can be rejected as totally ‘un-

English’. Literary translation is, in essence, an act of aesthetic

communication for the language of the literary text, be it original or

translated, does not only inform, i.e., convey lexical meanings, but it also

communicates and aesthetically affects. It is thus mandatory that the

translator of Arabic works should adopt certain strategies to effect a

literarily creative English rendition.

1.0. IntroductionIt is perhaps conspicuously indisputable that literary translation, just

like literary original composition, is not only informative, i.e., conveys

lexical meanings, but also expressive or emotive. It performs a semantic

and aesthetic binary function. In point of fact, information in literary texts

is aesthetically framed, which distinguishes such texts from non-literary

ones. Literary composition, be it original or translated, is a dynamic texture

of vivid stylistic variations, it has no room for monotony, dullness and

stagnation(1). It caters to arouse the receptor’s suspense, please them and/or

invite their interest. To this end, it employs a foregrounded structure,

highly eleviated style and literary diction.

Likewise, literary translation which should ideally be a work of

literature is dynamic rather than static: it should be more like AN original

rather than THE original work of art. Accordingly a dynamic translation

must:(2)

(1) Be dynamic rather than static;

(2) Be creative and aesthetically informative/communicative

(3) Comply with the target linguistic system;

(4) Be appropriate, i.e., fit the context of the message;

(5) Be natural and free from translationese; (3)

(6) Be acceptable to the target audience or literary readership and;

(7) Aspire to occupy a position in target literature as any other original

works of art. (4)

Due to the above requirements, in addition to the intricate, hybrid and

aesthetic nature of literary translation(5), one may well concur with Adams

in asserting that literary works are harder to translate than they were to

compose, “for the original composition is the art of choosing the exactly

right word or expression, and includes the option of changing and

modification as deemed appropriate whereas the art of literary/ belletristic

translation is the art of choosing among a set of possible compromises. (6)

It is the possible compromises that obliged the translator of Taha

Hussein’s “Du’a AL-Karawan” to opt for “an approximation rather than a

complete translation in order to present a natural, acceptable rendition”,

through “an equilibrium whereby the original aesthetic flavour is

transferred into English without hindering genuine comprehension”. (7)

In other words, the translator’s attention was not focused only on the

accurate semantic transference, albeit its primary import, but also on the

appropriate and aesthetically creativity–oriented, non-literal approach

whereby Arabic words are not mechanically replaced by their English

“equivalents”. (8)

This approach will be elucidated below through the translator’s

diction, the treatment of lexical gaps and the use of idioms and figures of

speech pertaining to schemes and tropes. Certain strategies have been

employed as compensatory for the inevitable stylistic losses throughout the

process of translation.

2.0. Translator’s Diction:Ostensibly, the translator may seem at odds with the original author

in adopting a divergent strategy as regards the choice of words. One of the

most salient features of Taha Hussein’s style is the rhythmic repetitions of

words, phrases and complete sentences. Paradoxically enough, the

translator has chosen to employ a strategy of stylistic variation whereby

different words or expressions have been selected as “equivalents”, albeit

“equivalence” is by and large illusionary if it is taken in the sense of one to

one and context free, based on absolute symmetry or sameness and

bilingual synonymy, which can rarely, if ever, exist in languages, let alone

Arabic and English.

The choice of “equivalent” words is therefore contextually

determined or context-bound. Hence the translator has to, as Lehrer rightly

maintains, “select the one word from among those in the semantic field

which is most appropriate to the situation” (9). This may echo Nida’s

“dynamic equivalence” in contrast with formal equivalence”, as the former

aims at “the reproduction rather than the conservation of the form of the

utterance” (10). Thus, instead of repeating in one page a word two times,

three times and even five times, just as the original author does, the

translator has used two, three and even five different words. Lehrer

explicitly expounds this strategy by imperatively asserting: “Do not keep

using the same word repeatedly; vary the lexical choices if possible”(11).Needless to say that variation in English helps to drift away vagueness

and to get rid of the monotonous atmosphere which is likely to flare up if

repetition is conserved. Besides, using a single word repeatedly may make

it too general a word.

Below are some illustrative instances:

2.1. The past verb taraj’a rendered as step back and recoil:

Source Text (ST) (12) Target Text (TT) Translator’s Justification

9

.

9

He stepped back

p.1

I recoiled to evade its

touch.p.1

He was standing at the

door then he walked few

steps from the door.

She drew herself back in

fear or disgust.

2.1.1 The verb yurafiq repeated three times in one sentence

ST TT Translator’s Justifications

…18

I was to be with her in her play,but not play with her; toaccompany her to the kuttab,but not learn with her; to bepresent with her when herprivate tutor came beforesunset, but not to follow herlessons.p.10

The context determinesthe underlying meaningintended by the author

2.2 The adjective Thàqi:l rendered as burdensome and painful.

ST TT Translator’s Justifications

.

18

A few burdensome

days passed,

p. 10

At first, my service

seemed odd and

painful to me. P. 10

The humiliation the three have

suffered and the degradation

they have lived in lingered the

passage of time and made it

long and difficult to bear.

Her job seemed to have killed

every hope in her and made her

suffer much affliction

2.3. The adjective ghurra rendered as young, inexperienced andinnocent.

ST TT Translator’s Justifications

…76

…76

…77

How can any heartnot have pity

on a young girl…p. 60

How can anyonenot admire this

inexperienced girl?P. 61

Who would nottremble for an

innocent girl… p. 61

A young girl likeher may makepeople have a

sinister look at her.

She might be drivento evil as she lacksthe knowledge that

one gains by experiencinglife.

She is such a harmless girlwho knows nothing of evil

and does not have theability to recognize it.

2.4. Similarly the noun qalb in.. in the above instances has been

rendered as heart ( lit: qalb ), anyone and Who as determined by the

context to avoid mere repetition, and to accurately express the intended

meaning.

2.5. The past verb dhakara rendered as recalled, recounted, brought to

memory, thought over, and even relived.

ST TT Translator’s Justifications …

21

…21

…21

…21

…21

I recalled thelong chain of unhappy

eventsp.13

I recounted the jealousywhich had

devoured her…p.13

Then I brought tomemory the mishap

which had utterly crushedheart. P.13

Then she thought over theinfinite sufferings

I relived these memorieswhich did away with anypossibility of refusal ordiscussion, I had to obey

and be resigned.p. 13

She could remember the sad events she

had been experiencingThis memory stillhaunts her mind

She evinced the ability togive an account of the

past sad days

She called to hermind the mishap…

She reflected uponthis sufferings

Her reflection upon the pastbrought nothing but painwhich made her unable to

deny or discuss, but only toshow submission

3.0 Lexical Gaps:Due to discrepancies between cultures, translators always encounter

arduous problems in translating terms and expressions pertaining to

divergent social structures, institutions and nomenclature in general where

many Arabic terms are non-existent in English. In dealing with such lexical

gaps, three strategies have been adopted, namely, translation, both

translation and transliteration and footnoting.

3.1 Translation Strategy:According to this strategy, an institutionalized, functional/cultural

equivalent is furnished, followed, whenever necessary, by a widely

recurrent alternative, e.g.,

3.1.1.a: ST: …132 .

3.1.1.b: TT: but is called A Thousand and One Nights ( the Arabian Nights)

Below are three different equivalents for the Arabic word Shykh

indicating three fine shades of meaning:

3.1.2.a. ST:16 …

3.1.2.b: TT: She had taken refuge in the house of a headman, maybe of the

town, maybe of its surroundings… p.9

3.1.2.a: ST:

…23

3.1.2.b: TT: and in their midst was an old man upon whom one’s gaze no

sooner fell than it conveyed assurance to the soul that here indeed was the

village headman. p. 15.

3.1.3.a: ST: .47 …

3.1.3.b: TT: He was the chief of the village watchmen… p. 36.

3.1.4.a: ST:47 …

3.1.4.b: TT: He was astounded to see the head watchman’s eyes like

lightning… p. 36.

3.2. Translation/Transliteration Strategy: It is sometimes felt necessary

to introduce the English equivalent together with the Arabic word,

especially when introducing the term for the first time.

3.2.1.a: ST: …22

3.2.1.b: TT: I remember that we were at the house of the headman,

“Umdah”…p.14.

3.2.2.a: 40

3.2.2.b: She searched and searched until she found herself a watchman,

ghaffir… p. 30.

3.2.3.a: ST: " "

…14

3.2.3.b: TT: How could it have been otherwise since it had now become

Bayna’a al–Warkayn ‘Between-the-two thighs’. Soon the people were

ashamed of their village; they hated to be associated with it…p.7.

3.2.4.a. ST: .16

3.4.2.b. TT: others work in the markaz (sub-prefect) while others are

employed in the native tribunal or in the religious court.p.9

3.2.5.a. ST: …19

3.2.5b. TT: She was serving in the house of a civil servant in the Da’ira as-

saniya (The Khedival Domain Office ).p.11.

3.2.6.a. ST: …59

3.2.6.a. TT: Then the air seemed to quiver and with it the call of the

announcer of the prayer (mu’adhdhin).p.47.

3.3. Footnoting Strategy:Although footnotes may obstruct the flow of smooth reading of a

narrative text, they are in certain cases indispensable for full

comprehension. Below are two examples.

3.3.1.a: ST: … .103

3.3.2.b: TT: The mawlid* will be recited not by the famous singer .p.82.

Mawlid* refers here to the celebration of the birthday of Prophet

Muhammad, peace be upon him, (mawlid an-nabi) on the 12th of Rabi’

AL-Awal of Hijra calendar. One prominent characteristic of the

celebrations is the recital of mawilds, i.e., panegyrical poems of a

legendary character, which start with the birth of Muhammad (Peace be

upon him) and praise his life and virtues in the most laudatory fashion.

See A. R. Gibb and J.H Kramers, eds., Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam,

Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1974, pp.365-367. For detailed description of the

popular festival, see J.W. McPenerson, the Moulids of Egypt, Cairo,

1941.

3.3.2.a: ST:104

3.3.2.b: TT: Among them there will be the pashas, beys and ‘ulama’ of the

Azhar. P.83.

Pasha: and bey refer to the bearers of titles of courtesy and honour

such as governors and men of high rank or office. Ulama of alim are

theologians and scholars who are professionally occupied with the

elaboration and interpretation of Islam and its legal system from a study

of its sources in the Qur’an and Prophetic Tradition, hadith. P. 83.

4. Idiomaticity:

Idiomaticity denotes the use of idioms and collocations as

established linguistic formulas and generally refers to “the use of language

that is typical of or natural to speakers of a particular language”(14) and

constitutes part of its literary heritage. Hence it is a basic feature of natural

translation.(15)

Due to being more semantically opaque than transparent, idiomatic

expressions pose a great challenge to translators. Nida and Taber

(1974:106) touch upon the problem of idiomaticity by stressing that

“whereas one inevitably loses many idioms is the process of translation,

one also stands to gain a number of idioms”(16).

Idiomaticity requires language sensitivity analogous to that native

speakers seem to have for judging when and how an idiomatic expression

can be manipulated(17). More over, it is one of the three requisites of “native

language” which is “the ability to speak and write a language so fluently

that the expression of thought is structurally, grammatically and

idiomatically correct(18).

The introduction of idioms for the inevitable idiomatic loss is also

emphasized by Nida and Taber (1974:106)who aver that(19):

One of the difficulties is that too often translators are

not sufficiently sensitive to the possibilities of idiomatic

expressions, and hence the end result is a weakening

of the figurative force of the translation, since they do

not compensate for loss of certain idioms by the

introduction of others.

The English version of Du’a al-Karawan is replete with idiomatic

expressions introduced as a compensation for the invitable

stylistic/idiomatic loss and to effect naturalness. Here are some examples.

4.1.a. ST: .9.

4.1.b. TT: I am at your service, master! P.3

(I am ready to do what you order me to do.)

at sb’s service = ready to help sb, OALD,(20):p.1156.

4.2.a. ST: ..9

4.2.b. TT: Then he slipped into his room, and I followed at his heels, p.3.

Slip into: go somewhere quietly and quickly, at/on sb’s heels: following

closely after sb. OALD, , pp.1200, 581.

4.3.a. ST: ..12

4.3.b. TT: I walk around my room for a while. I take a few steps to and fro

p.6; to and for: backwards and forwards, OALD,1348.

4.4.a. ST: .34

4.4.b. TT: This morning, I learnt that there is a market today in the village;

people will come from far and wide… p.24.

4.5.a. ST: ..9

4.5.b. TT: God knows how sick at heart and how miserable I was! p.42.

4.6.a. ST: ..54

4.6.b. TT: stand up to problems (stand up to = withstand), OALD, p.1250

4.7.a. ST: ..55

4.7.b. TT: to take advantage of a moment of inattention.. p.43.

4.8.a. ST: ..55.

4.8.b. TT: The heart bleeds at her daze and the soul is tormented by the

paleness of her face.. p. 43.

4.9.a. ST: ..71

4.9.b. TT: I am pursuing something I ardently desire at all costs. p.57. (at

all costs: the supremely important consideration) OALD, p.268.

4.10.a. ST: ..99

4.10.b. TT: paid no heed to the evil he had committed.. p.74 (pay no heed

to = pay no attention to), OALD. 581.

4.11.a. ST:

..99.

4.11.b. TT: Is it jealousy that boils the blood in my veins; is it because of

this that my face glows red and my eyes become inflamed with something

that looks like sparks.. p.79.

4.12.a. ST: …113

4.12.b. TT: made allusions, called a spade a spade… p. 90 (Call a spade a

spade = speak plainly and frankly, OALD, 161.

4.13.a. ST: ..114

4.13.b. TT: There you are! p. 90.

4.14.a. ST: …112

4.14.b. TT: What remorse it was, enough to break one’s heart… p.97.

(break one’s heart = make one feel very sad), OALD, 587.

4.15.a.ST : …124

4.15.b. TT: As I was seeing to the table… p.98. see to sth = attend to,

OALD, p. 1145.

4.16.a. TT: The library would be at my disposal for several hours, it was

possible for me to get hold of the book… p. 105 (At one’s disposal= to use

as one wishes; to get hold of sth= to take sth in the hand) OALD, pp. 347,

599.

…133. ..144

But he catches me reading, and to crown it all, reading a book which he has

not been accustomed to seeing… pp.105–116.

(to crown it all = as the final event in a series of fortunate or unfortunate

events, OALD, p. 287.

4.17.a. ST: …136

4.17.b. TT: I had not slept a wink… p. 108.

(not sleep a wink = not sleep at all, OALD, 1465.

4.18.a. ST:

..142 .

4.18.b. TT: I had already spent one sleepless night, the second one was well

under way, and drawing to a close… p.113. ( under way = having started

and making progress, drawing to a close, coming to an end), OALD, pp.

1443, 214.

4.19.a. ST: , …150

4.19.b. TT: He was not trying to gain the upper hand over me or to triumph

over on obstinate adversary… p. 120.

4.20.a. ST: …159

4.20.b. TT: What destiny? Is it not time that you brought the thing into the

open? P. 129. (bring sth into the open = make (esp secret plans, ideas, etc)

known publicly). OALD, p.865.

5.0 Rhetorical /Figurative Target Language.It is perhaps axiomatic to say that literature externalizes itself

through a language artistically used so as to aesthetically give pleasure. In

point of fact, language is quite literally the material of the literary artist,

original writer and literary translator alike, just as the stone or bronze of

sculpture, oil colours of painting and sounds of music(21). The literary

translator may have to exercise a creative power congruous with that of the

original writer -creating for instance classical, literary diction and

introducing idiomatic expressions and rhetorical devices non-existent in the

original to compensate for inevitable stylistic losses. Otherwise, a literary

work of art will be rendered lifeless, tasteless, prosaic and lacking aesthetic

pleasure, which might explicate why some prominent men of letters and

translation critics such as Harry de Forest Smith deem a rendition of this

sort as “tasteless as a stewed strawberry”(22). Fitzgerald even goes so far as

to rebuff it, averring “alive sparrow is better than a stuffed eagle.(23)

Explicitly, the absence or scarcity of rhetorical /figurative language

may produce banality, may weaken or ruin the original figurative force and

may generally have a deadening effect on the target text. Thus the present

translator endeavored not only to salvage as far as possible but also to

newly introduce figures of aesthophonic values such as alliteration,

assonance, antithesis and parallelism which a blind author like Taha

Hussein has given them a top priority and to utilize figures pertaining to

clarity, liveliness and inventiveness such as simile and metaphor. Needless

to say that both kinds of figures have also appeared in the exemplification

of idiomaticity, (see, for instance 4.11.b).

5.1.a. ST: .10

5.1.b. TT: I am still awake, watching for your arrival, and waiting for your

call… p.3-4. (aesthophonic devices: alliteration, assonance and

parallelism).

5.2.a. TT:

…10

5.2.b. ST: Listen to me, speak to me, so that together we may evoke the

tragedy to with we were witnesses, which we could not prevent happening

and whose evil we could not keep away from that pure soul which was

extinguished, and that blood which was shed. p.4.

5.3.a. ST:

… .13 .

5.3.b. TT: The slumber of the trees, the perfume of flowers and the dreams

of the birds in the branch cradles. p.6.

5.4.a. ST: … .13

5.4.b. TT: I can dispose of them, if I will, whenever I will and as I will.

p.6.

5.5.a. ST:

…17

5.5. B. TT: Late in the night we surrendered to a peaceful pleasant sleep,

then in the morning we separated to take up our work in the houses of the

merchants and civil servants. p.10.

5.6.a. ST:

.18

5.6.b. TT: I was the most fortunate and happiest of the three of us, fate had

favoured me to serve in the house of the Ma’mur ( sub-prefect) of the

district. p.10.

5.7.a. ST: .20

5.7.b. TT: Tears seemed to be welling up in my mother’s eyes but were

unable to flow. p.12.

5.8.a. ST:

…16

5.8.b. TT: Mishaps tossed them from village to village, from one district to

another, here they would find tenderness, and there bitterness. p.8.

5.9.a. ST:

.23

5.9.b. TT: I recalled how, weary and exhausted, we had arrived in this

village at the close of the day; we had sat beneath some mulberry trees to

rest for an hour or so. We scarcely spoke to one another. But as the silence

had lasted too long, out inactivity became fretful and thinking was too

oppressive, our mother said… pp. 14-15.

5.10.a. ST:

:25

5.10.b. TT: and started as though she were panic-stricken, then she became

calm and placid when she recognized my voice: why are you standing

there, distracted and stock–still like a statue? P.17 (panic-stricken = in a

state of panic; terrified. stock-still = motionless, OALD, pp. 893, 1264)5

5.11.a. ST:

…26

5.11.b. TT: Then, her tears flowed freely; her voice faltered as she was still

shaking convulsively, shedding copious tears tears. She sobbed violently

and brokenly. p.17 (falter, of the voice, waver: OALD, p.437).

5.12.a. ST:

…27

5.12.b. TT: I have come to know that a heavy distress possesses us, that a

terrible sadness reigns in the hearts of you and our mother, and that a fatal

despair overcomes your soul. p.18.

5.13.a. ST: …29

5.13.b. TT: This face, calm and fresh, was a feast for the eyes, a treat for

the mind, a joy for the heart.p.19.

5.14. a. ST:

…35

5.14.b. TT: … invocation for the master of the house: may God gird his

flank and exalt his rank; may He spare his woes and let him triumph over

his foes. p.25.

5.15.a. ST: !

.36

5.15.b. TT: Where could I find the strength to put out my hand amidst these

hands or make my jaws labour like those other jaws? All I could do was sit

among those women, glancing at them, irritated by them, cheating my

hunger with wafers. p.62.

5.16.a. ST: ..

5.16.b. TT: Then she let out a laugh … and it filled the atmosphere with a

spirit of joy, jest, levity and lewdness…p.26.

5.17.a. ST: …37

5.17.b. TT: Why are your lips sealed? (Literary idiom)

5.18.a. ST: …40

5.18.b. TT: to suck in the money of the poor and destitute.p.30.

5.19.a. ST: …41

5.19.b. TT: They vie with one another…

vie with = compete keenly with: OALD, p.1420.

5.20.a. ST: ..46

5.20.b. TT: I get up to find myself amidst clamour, commotion, hustle and

bustle,p.35.

5.21.a. ST: ..60

5.21.b. TT: Look at this illumination that floods us and the plain around

us…p.48.

5.22.a. ST:

…61

5.22.b. TT: But as soon as dawn smiles, morning shines, and life awakens,

all these horrors fade away and disappear with the darkness, leaving no

trace in the soul and losing their power on the heart…pp. 48-49.

5.23.a. ST:

…80.

5.23.b. TT: Springs of sorrow gush out in my heart, my body becomes a

buring fire with a most gnawing torment; tears flow abundantly down my

cheeks; I have to go off the road to give vent to my tears far from indiscreet

eyes.p.64.

5.24.a. ST:

…143.

5.24.b. TT: As soon as he came back he renewed his propositions

repeatedly, in a comic yet sad way that could destroy a man’s manhood,

making him seem strong as a lion, yet weak as a mouse, respected like a

lord and humiliated like a slave.p.114.

5.25.a. ST:

.

.145-146.

5.25.b.TT: We greet each other with a smile, but the smile turns to

frowning, contentment becomes discontent. He calls me, I refuse; he

insists, I persist; he entices, I escape his enticement; he threatens, I disdain

his threats; he implores my pity, I become heartless.pp.116-117.

6. Conclusion:Translation of literary works, particularly from Arabic into English,

poses a challenge to translator due to discrepant structures and widely

divergent cultures. To be a work of literature, such translation should be

aesthetically informative/communicative, dynamic, emotive and idiomatic.

It should also endeavor to rid itself from any form of translationese so as to

be as natural as possible albeit retaining some of the transferable original

flavour. The inevitable stylistic losses had prompted the translator of Taha

Hussein.s Du’a al-Karawan ( The Call of the Curlew) to employ certain

compensatory strategies like the strategy of diction variation instead of

repetition to drift away any potential vagueness and to get rid of the

monotonous atmosphere which might otherwise flare up. Likewise, in

dealing with lexical gaps, three strategies had been adopted in rendering

words and expressions pertaining to institutions and nomenclature,

namely, the strategy of translation, both translation and transliteration and

footnoting. As regards idiomaticity, many idiomatic expressions in which

English is affluent were brought forth. By the same token, numerous

rhetorical figures serving as asthophonic features such as alliteration,

assonance and parallelism or contributing to clarity, liveliness and

effectiveness had either been rendered or newly introduced as they are

requisite for any language of literary art.

Notes &References(1) As-Safi, A.B. (1994). “The Dynamic vs. Static Translation of

Literary Texts from English into Arabic. Turjman (Tanger: Morocco)

Vol. III. No.1, pp. 57-79.

(2) Ibid.

(3) For elaboration, see: As-Safi, A.B. and ASH-Sharifi, In’am Sahib.

(1997) “Naturalness in Literary Translation”. Babel. (Amsterdam), Vol.

43, No,1, pp. 60-75.

(4) This aspiration is evinced in the reviews of published translations.

Following the publication of Taha Hussein: The Call of the Curlew

(Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1980), some reviews appeared. To cite but few

available instances, John A. Haywood (University of Sussex, England),

in Die Welt des Islams, (Vol. XX, No. 3-4, pp, 249-250),

“congratulated” the translator “on the success he has achieved, in fact

the reviewer was rarely troubled by awkwardness. The translation

seems natural and effortless, on the whole, which is surely great tribute

to it… It must be admitted that traslation is difficult and often

thankless task, and Dr. AL-Safi has acquitted himself extremely well”,

Haywood concludes his review. Similarly, James Kritzech, professor of

Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Utah, USA in The

Middle East Journal (Summer, 1981, p. 420) “Beyond question, one

of Hussein’s most polished works from his finest period, Du’a AL-

Karawan (Cairo, 1934) is now presented in a marvelous English

translation by A. B. As-Safi. “The Translation, he maintains, deserves

special commendation for having accomplished an especially

challenging task”. The novel “stands out in the translation as a

masterpiece of carefully husbanded and limpid prose, to be sure”. On

the other hand, Fancis X Paz, of State University of New York,

critically propounds in Journal of the American Oriental Society

(Vol. 102. No, 4, 1982, pp. 670-671) that “the laudable aims of the

translator are not achieved. The language is stilted, as it is in original in

my opinion… If rendered literally into English, it would often read like

free verse. “ He refers to critics who consider the novel

“untranslatable”. Thus one can see the difficulties facing the translator

of such prose” as Hussein’s. But he seems to agree with the translator’s

approach in saying: “As-Safi chooses an approximate English version

rather than an exact translation, thus hoping to bring something of the

original aesthetic flavour as well as clear comprehension to the reader”.

Two reviews also appeared in French and German, the first by N.

Tomiche in Arabica, Tome XXX, Fascicule 2, pp. 210-211; the second

by Bespr von. W. Walther in Oreintalistische Literaturzeitung 79,

Jahrgang 1984 Nr.1, pp. 55-56.

(5) For elaboration, see As-Safi, A. B. (1996). “Toward an Objective

Assessment of Literary/Belletristic Translation” Translatio

(Sintamandsberg, Belgium), Vol XV, No.1, pp, 5-20.

(6) Adams, Robert M. (1973). Proteus: His Lies, His Truth:

Discussions of Literary Translation. New York: North Company

Inc., p.11.

(7) Taha Hussein. The Call of the Curlew. Translated by A.B. As-Safi.

Leiden: E.J. Brill, (1980), the preface, p. iii.

(8) As-Safi, A.B “Lexicalization and Modalization of Prepositions in

English-Arabic Translation”. In IJAES: International Journal of

Arabic- English Studies, Vol.2, Nos.1&2 June 2001, p. 158.

(9) Lehrer, Adrienns. (1974). Semantic Fields and Lexical Structures.

Amsterdam & London: North –Holland Publishing Co. p.87.

(10) Nida, Eugene A. (1964) Toward a Science of Translating. Leiden.

Brill, p. 162.

(11) Lehrer, OP. Cit., p. 88.

(12) Hussein, Taha. (1934,1974). Du’a AL-Karawan. Cairo: dar AL-

Ma’arif.

(13) Translator’s justification for choice has heavily relied on an

unpublished paper entitled “A Study of Some points of Excellence in

the Translation of Taha Hussein’s Du’a AL-Karawan by Iman Hussein

Mikhlif, of Basrah University, Iraq.

(14) Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 1991, p, 616.

(15) As-Safi, A. B, and Ash-Sharifi, I. (1997) “Naturalness in Literary

Translation”. Babel. Vol. 43, No.1. p.62.

(16) Baker, Mona. (1992).In Other Words: a Course on Translation.

London: Routledge, p.64.

(17) Ibid.,65.

(18) Ibid

(19) Nida, E.A and Taber, C. R. (1969,1974). The Theory and Practice

of Translation. Leiden: E. J. Brill, p. 106.

(20) OALD refers to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.

(21) Wellek, Renè and Warren, Austin (1914,1973). Theory of

literature. London. Penguin, pp.20-28.

(22) Nida, Eugene A. (1964). Toward a Science of Translating.

Leiden: E.J. Brill, pp. 1-2, 182.

(23) Ibid